


Over the Edge

by marineduo (spiralxshock)



Series: Helmeppo's no good, very bad luck [5]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:29:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27678788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiralxshock/pseuds/marineduo
Summary: When Helmeppo ends up letting go in a precarious situation, Coby is forced to consider life without his other half, if only for a little while.
Relationships: Coby/Helmeppo (One Piece)
Series: Helmeppo's no good, very bad luck [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975567
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

“Coby, you need to let me go.”

“No!” Coby choked back a sob, nails digging into his friend’s arm. 

He couldn’t let go. That fall would kill Helmeppo as surely as any sword. And if the fall itself somehow didn’t, the water rushing far below them would. But it was hard enough to keep a hold on the edge of the cliff with one hand. Coby’s arm was already shaking from that effort, and the cold was only making it harder as his fingers were going numb. 

“If you don’t we’ll both fall.”

“HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM?” 

“Either way this happens, I’m gone. I can’t let you die too.” He could hear Helmeppo take a shaky breath. “Just… Know that I love you. Ok?”

“Helmeppo- no, no! Helmeppo!”   


Helmeppo let go of his hand. Coby tried to hold on, nails digging into the leather of his glove. That  _ damned _ glove. It created too much of a barrier, and there was a horrifying lightness when Helmeppo’s hand slipped from his own.

“ _ NO! _ ” It was more a sob than a scream as he watched the other fall, disappearing under the violent water. “No…” 

He couldn’t just stay there. Not when his partner… Coby brought his other hand up to the ledge, glove still firmly in his grip. Pulling himself up was easy. Too easy. But moving from that ledge was an impossible task. He simply lay there, only a few feet from the edge, and let sobs shake his body. It didn’t matter that he was a Captain. Helmeppo was gone. It was too real. Too sudden. After so many close calls out of his control, his partner’s death ended up being his own fault. If he’d been strong enough, then maybe…

Coby wasn’t sure how long he laid there. It all blurred together until a hand found his shoulder, gently bringing him back to reality.

“Coby? Are- Are you alright? Where’s Helmeppo?” Tashigi’s voice was soft. Worried. Why wouldn’t it be, after finding Coby in such a state and Helmeppo gone. What was he going to tell her... they’d been like family. How could he tell her the closest thing she had to a brother was gone?

“I’m- I’m s-sorry. I could- I couldn’t… He- He…”

A look of horrified understanding crossed her face, and the group of marines with her broke out in shocked whispers. Most of them were likely from Coby’s own crew, though even in the mid-day sun he couldn’t make out their faces. Tears continued to blur his vision as Tashigi pulled him close. 

“I’m so sorry. Coby, I- We should have gotten here sooner.” 

They stayed like that unil Coby managed to collect himself. 

“We have to look for him.”

“Coby…”

“I know. We probably won’t find anything. But I can’t just leave him out here without even trying.” 

Tashigi sighed. 

“You’re right. I think I’d feel better if we could give him a… you know…”

He did. If they could find him, they could do a proper funeral. It would make things easier, if nothing else. They set out in silence. What was there to say? Coby had to think about how to tell Garp. To tell the rest of the crew. 

* * *

The group searched until the sun began to set, but there was no sign of him. The closest they came was a torn part of his coat that had been caught on a stone. Coby didn’t want to give up, but between the darkness and dropping temperature, the chances of finding him after dark were slim to none.

“We’ll look again tomorrow. Farther down. This river goes all the way to the base, so he could be anywhere.” Tashigi said. Her hand on his shoulder did little to reassure him. 

“This is all my fault.”

“You can’t blame yourself for-”

“Yes, I can.” Coby took a shaky breath, knuckles white from his grip on the damp cloth. “It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been messing around. We were waiting for you to come up so we could start the search and I… I wasn’t paying attention. I should have seen the pirate. But he- he threw something and Helmeppo lost his balance.”

Tashigi was silent, staring at the ground. Her expression was unreadable. Coby swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“I tried to grab him. But I… I slipped. I was barely holding on. He let go so I could get back up. If I had just been paying attention this  _ never _ would have happened.”

“That sounds like him. I’m… sorry.” Of all the things he expected her to say, he hadn’t been prepared for that. 

“Why-”

“These things just happen sometimes. No matter how prepared we are. We got the guy as we were coming up but…” She sighed. “Revenge isn’t going to bring Helmeppo back.”

They stood in silence for a while, river churning angrily beside them.

“We should get back to base.”   


Coby said nothing, only following the other back towards the marine base. No matter what she said, he knew she was angry. It was radiating off of her along with her grief. He doubted he was any better. That pirate had just taken the one thing he cared about most, so despite his usual demeanor he felt entitled to a bit of anger himself.


	2. Chapter 2

It was fully dark when they made it back to base, but Coby could still see the fog of his breath in the frigid air. Inside was wonderfully warm. A sensation Coby didn’t deserve. Not when… Well, there was nothing to be done about that now. Knowing the pirate who caused it was on his way to a cell had to be enough.

In the entrance hall an older woman stood, far too cheerful for an occasion so somber.

“Captain Coby! Captain Tashigi! About time y’all showed up.”

“Did something happen, Doctor Graves?”

“No particularly. Y’all were just takin’ so long I was worried you’d fallen into the river too.”

Coby couldn’t help but give a soft smile. Her energy was infectious, and it was hard not to appreciate her concern. She must have been particularly worried about them having fallen if she was waiting by the entrance. But... something didn’t feel right. 

“Doctor Graves… How did you know someone fell into the river?”

“Your beau dragged himself back here a while ago, soaked to the bone an’ shakin’ like a leaf. Told me everything. Honestly, I don’t know what he was thinkin’ standing so close to the edge. With a pirate in the area! A damn fool’s what he is.” 

“Helmeppo’s alive? Is… is he ok? Was he hurt?” Coby lunged at the doctor, hands gripping her shoulders desperately. She made no move, completely unphased by the other’s action. 

“Not as hurt as he shoulda been. And that’s after managing not to drown. I swear, nothing short of a miracle’s gonna kill that boy and even then I’m not sure.” The doctor let out a sharp laugh before continuing. “Couldn’t do much for the bruises, but the cuts weren’t serious so I patched him up and let him get some rest. Reckon he’ll still be in his room. Here’s hoping he won’t add any more scars to his collection.”

“I thought you said the cuts weren’t serious?” Tashigi stepped closer, concerned confusion clear in her eyes.

“They’re more long than deep. Should heal fine but it seems he’s a bit of a scratcher.”

Coby couldn’t help but laugh. She had him pegged perfectly. Most of the scars he had were only there because he couldn’t stop scratching at them as they healed, a habit Coby had finally stopped trying to discourage. Still, it was good to know he was going to be alright. 

“So he’s in his room?”

“Should be. Or yours, but I’d bet on his. Had to stop him from crashin’ on my couch already and his is closer.”

“Thank you.”

He glanced over at Tashigi, nodding before letting go of the doctor’s shoulders. They started towards the other’s room, speed barely below a run. It felt like forever before they reached his room, but after what they had been through even seconds would have felt like an eternity. 

Coby knocked a few times, to no response. No matter. He dug into his pockets, finding the key he kept on him. They always had keys to each others’ rooms. Even before they were together, after having slept in the same room for so long it was just more comfortable to keep doing it.

The door unlocked with a soft click, and Coby opened it slightly to poke his head in. The light was still on. On the bed Helmeppo was sprawled out, leg over the edge and bandaged arm over his face.

“He in there?”

“Yeah.” 

They went in quietly, both happy to see him safe. Coby found a place to sit on the edge, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Helmeppo groaned, moving his arm away from his face and looking up at him.

“Hey. How long have you been sleeping?”

“Dn’know. Wh’t time is’t?” He mumbled, pushing himself up into a sitting position. 

“Almosts ten.”

“Mornin’?”

“Night.”

“Oh that’s not so bad then.” He yawned, hand going up to a bandage to his face before Coby took it and pushed it down.. Just because he couldn’t stop him all the time didn’t mean Coby wasn’t about to stop him when he could.

“You really had us worried.” Tashigi chimed in, gently kicking the leg he had off the bed. “How’d you survive that anyways?"

“Just got lucky. And I’m a pretty good swimmer.”

“Oh is that all?” 

“About as much as I can figure out.”

Tashigi shook her head, grinning widely.

“I’ll let you two rest for now. Doc’s probably yelled at you enough today.”

“And Smoker, once she was done with me.”

Coby watched as she took her leave, closing the door behind her. He stood as well, locking the door and hanging his coat next to where Helmeppo’s was. He had a set of pajamas in the room, another result of how often they slept over with each other. He changed quickly, discarding his clothes in the pile where Helmeppo’s had already been dumped. 

By the time he changed and returned to where Helmeppo was, the other had moved over to give him space. Coby carefully pressed himself to the other’s side, careful not to touch his bandages.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again.” He whispered, fingers tracing over the other’s stomach. Beneath the shirt he could feel the raised scar that extended up to his chest. “When you fell I… I thought that was it.”

He felt the other’s arms wrap around him, pulling him close. It was nice. Comforting. 

“‘M sorry.” Helmeppo’s voice still sounded as rough as he looked, edged with an exhaustion that almost made Coby feel guilty for waking him up. “Thought you’d just come back…”

That brought a sad smile to Coby’s face. To think he’d have had less heartache if he’d just come right back like Tashigi had said. But he couldn’t have ever brought himself to do that. 

“I’m always going to look for you.” 

Helmeppo didn’t respond, breathing soft and even. Asleep again… Well, if anyone deserved it, he did. Coby closed his eyes, burying his face in the other’s shoulder in place of turning out the light. It wasn’t like he’d be able to get to it with the hold Helmeppo had him in. There would be more time to talk in the morning. For now, Coby was content to rest.


End file.
